Clerk to be charged in robbery hoax

The clerk told officers he complied with the demand and the subject fled through the back of the store. The suspect was described by the clerk as being 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a medium build, and was wearing dark pants with a rhino logo on the back, a green hooded sweatshirt with writing on it, a ball cap with the hood pulled over it and sunglasses.

Bowen said when Dets. Scott Massey and Chris Melvin questioned the clerk they noticed multiple inconsistencies in his story. After further questioning they requested to search the clerks car.

When the clerk reportedly consented, the money that was reported stolen was found inside his vehicle.

When they confronted him with the money, he admitted he stole it, Bowen said.

Police are not releasing the clerks identity as he has not been charged at this time. Bowen said they would present evidence to the grand jury in the near future.

The police chief said for 45 minutes to an hour the LPD searched surrounding neighborhoods for the suspect and said the worst thing about the case was the time spent chasing down a false report.

The biggest problem with this is the waste of resources, he said. I commend the detectives for their work and getting this thing figured out.

According to Bowen, the clerk told detectives that personal financial troubles led him to allegedly take the money and invent the robbery story.

The guy said he was in financial trouble and he made up the story, the chief said. A lot of people are having trouble in this economy and sometimes people just make bad decisions.